Dachshund History!

Everything Behind These Little Dogs.

You might be asking yourself what is Dachshund history and where did they come from? Well, this page is going to answer just that question. There is a lot of interesting history out there. So, sit back and read away.

First off the name Dachshund is German meaning badger dog. German hunters bread this dog for hunting. The Dachshund was said to have been bread from dwarf mutations of taller hunting hounds like the Schweisshund (bloodhound) and the Bibarhund. By the 18th century hunters had shorted the legs in the hunting hounds by selective breeding. Thus producing the standard Dachshund. Standard dachshunds were used in packs to hunt and catch wild boar and to go into badger dens. The Dachshund would chase the badger out of the den and corner it for the hunter. This helped the hunter because then the badgers were not attacking their horses. As Dachshund history is told German foresters reduced body size of the Dachshund by selective breeding to create a miniature version of the Standard Dachshund. The Foresters did this so the Dachshund could go into rabbit holes easier. The Dachshund would chase the rabbit out of the hole and the hunter would then kill the rabbit. History also states that miniature Dachshunds were also used for hunting fox and tracking deer that were wounded from the hunter.

As long as Dachshund history has been around the Germans divided the dachshunds into three categories unlike the Americans that only use two categories. In Germany they categorize the Dachshund by the size of hole it can enter. The first category is the standard Dachshund (Normalgrossteckel). The second and third are the miniature Dachshund which is split into two categories. The first one is the dwarf Dachshund (zwergteckel) that measures approximately 11.8 inches around its chest. Finally the third category is the rabbit Dachshund (kaninchenteckel) that measures approximately 13.8 inches around its chest.

Now lets hear about some Dachshund History in America and
Great Britain. The Dachshund is a very popular dog in both of
these countries. In fact, in 1913 before World War One they
were in the top ten breeds. When World War One and Two happened
Dachshunds in America and Great Britain declined drastically
because they were associated with Germany. By 1940 the
Dachshund was once again raked as one of the top ten breeds
again.
Looking at Dachshund History in America tells us about the American Kennel Club (AKC). The first dachshund registered with the AKC was in1885. The Dachshunds name was Dash, he was black and tan and owned by Dr. G.D. Stewart. The Dachshund has been one of the top ten most popular dogs in the AKC for decades. Dachshunds were imported to America before the AKC recognized them, thus the Dachshund Club was founded in 1881. This club was for smooth dachshunds only. The wirehaired club started in 1927 they were breed to hunt in briar and thorn bushes. The longhaired club was then started in 1929.

Dachshunds are also a very popular dog in Australia, Denmark, Holland, France, and India. The term Dachshund in French is Basset and in Switzerland it is Neider. Throughout Dachshund History you can see that they come in many different sizes, coats, and colors. No matter what variety they are they all have great scenting and digging capabilities. The Dachshunds are one of the breeds where there are many combinations to choose from. Thanks to our ancestors we now have a great breed of dog to call our own.